Most vehicles have rigid roof structures that permanently extend over and cover the passenger compartment. Manufacturers also provide a variety of designs that offer the vehicle operator the opportunity to partially or completely uncover the passenger compartment. Sunroofs and moon roofs are some of the simplest designs, and offer the opportunity to open a portion of the vehicle roof for increased airflow. More complicated designs allow the entire roof structure to be retracted and stored behind the passenger compartment. When retracted, these roof designs form a roof stack to the rear of the passenger compartment. In some designs, a storage area is provided just rearwardly of the passenger compartment and forwardly of the vehicle luggage compartment. A soft or hard cover is sometimes provided for covering the roof stack in the stored position. In other designs, the retracted roof is stored in the vehicle luggage compartment. This approach is especially useful with retractable hard top designs. In one approach, the vehicle has a decklid that articulates rearwardly to provide a forward facing opening behind the passenger compartment to receive the retracted roof structure. The decklid may then be articulated back into the closed position to cover the top stack. This gives the vehicle a finished appearance when the roof is retracted. Most consumers prefer that the trunk also be usable in a traditional manner, wherein the rear end of the decklid opens to provide a rearwardly facing opening to receive luggage or groceries. Providing a decklid that will articulate so as to provide a forward-facing opening to receive a retractable roof structure and to also open in a traditional manner to provide a rearward facing opening presents numerous mechanical challenges.
One approach to providing an articulated decklid that opens both rearwardly and forwardly, is to provide a frame which supports the decklid and provides for interconnection with the body. The frame typically articulates with the decklid when it moves in one direction and remains stationary when the decklid articulates in the other direction. The decklid then latches and pivots with respect to the frame in some positions. Examples of designs using a frame are illustrated in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos.'s 5,775,766, 5,823,606, 6,010,178, 6,164,713, 6,186,577, 6,270,144, 6,325,445, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0020300 A1. Designs with frames, while functional, add significant cost and weight to vehicle designs. An alternative approach has been to provide frameless decklid designs. However, these designs typically include a complicated articulation mechanism that remains attached to both the decklid and the body in all positions of the decklid. Examples of these systems are shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos.'s 6,193,300 and 6,352,298, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0093218. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, these systems are very complicated and the articulation mechanisms are heavy and expensive. In light of this, there remains a need for improved decklid articulation systems.